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Smash Cakes
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Smash Cakes

Super-moist vanilla cake wrapped in strawberry buttercream and topped with buttercream roses. This cake is delicious even if it isn't your child's birthday!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 280kcal
Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cakes:

  • 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 426g
  • 2 cup granulated sugar 456g
  • 2 tsp baking powder heaping 6g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda heaping 2g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cup butter 352g, unsalted, room temperature or melted
  • 1 cup whole milk 240ml, warm
  • 1 cup sour cream 240ml, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract 20g
  • 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 6 egg whites large

For the American Buttercream:

  • 2 lb confectioner's sugar 924g
  • 5 sticks unsalted butter 565g, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp strawberry preserve strained
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 splash vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp matcha powder
  • pink gel food coloring

Instructions

For the Cakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour four 6-inch cake pans. Soak baking strips in water.
  • Sift dry ingredients (including sugar). Whisk to combine.
  • In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
  • Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until combined. If the batter is lumpy, it’s okay!
  • Add damp baking strips to the cake pans.
  • Evenly distribute batter into pans. I like to use a kitchen scale for precision. This recipe makes enough batter for six layers. You can either use the extra batter for cupcakes or freeze the layers for another cake!
  • Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch. 

For the American Buttercream:

  • In a stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy.
  • Sift in half of the confectioners sugar. Mix, then add the rest.
  • Reserve about 1 cup of the white buttercream for the roses and green leaves.
  • Add in strained strawberry preserves to the remaining buttercream. Mix until combined.
  • Transfer the strawberry buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
  • Use food coloring to dye the buttercream different shades of pink for the flowers. Use matcha powder to dye some green for the leaves. 

For the Flowers:

  • Cut a square of parchment paper. Use a tiny bit of buttercream to glue down the paper onto a piping nail.
  • For the roses, pipe a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square.
  • Use a 120 and 122 tip to make the petals. 

For the Assembly:

  • Pipe the strawberry buttercream between each layer.
  • Crumb coat the cake and smooth with a scraper.
  • Pipe a thin layer of plain white buttercream on the outside of the cake. Even out with a hot scraper and offset spatula. Chill for about 30 minutes.
  • Pipe a ring of buttercream on the top of the cake.
  • Use scissors to transfer roses to the ring.
  • Pipe in leaves to create dimension.

Video

Notes

  • If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
  • If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
  • See little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients? Don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
  • To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set online, or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
  • Buttercream flowers are so lovely but I know they can be difficult when you're just starting out. Check out my buttercream flower tutorial here!
  • You could make this recipe as a single three layer eight inch cake instead of two smaller six inch cakes.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2.2mg